Thunder
by EclaireAndPocky
Summary: Chise has to face her fear of thunder. Luckily, Elias is there to help. I do not apologize for the sappiness and fluff.


I don't own Ancient Magus' Bride or any of the characters.

Thunder

Rain pelted against the windows of the cottage, and the shutters banged against the walls. Lightning shot across the sky, illuminating the sheets of rain. Rolls of thunder plowed through the small countryside.

Chise took cover. She ripped the quilt off of the bed and threw it over her head, successfully cocooning herself inside. She curled as tight as she could into a little ball and slid under the bed.

She was embarrassed that she was afraid of thunder, but she couldn't help it. She was terrified the lightning that came with it would strike her. But most of all, she was scared of the sound of thunder. It was loud and scary to her. The louder the peals became, the more fear she felt.

Elias, on the other hand, was wandering around the house. "Chise? Where are you?" He asked into the dark house. He made his was into the bedroom and noticed the bed was a mess. He heard a quiet, muffled cry coming from beneath the bed. He crouched down to look under it.

"Chise, what are you doing down there?"

He reached under the bed and pulled the girl out. Chise's crying became louder as Elias uncovered her face from beneath the layers of blanket.

"What's wrong? What can I do to help?" He asked in worry.

Chise tried to calm down enough to speak, but another roar of thunder shook the house. She threw her arms out of the bundle enough to grab onto Elias's shirt and buried her face into his chest.

Elias was slightly taken aback at Chise's actions, but he wrapped his arms around her nonetheless. He gently scooped her up and walked over to the bed. He sat against the headboard and pulled the covers over both of them.

Chise desperately pulled against Elias's shirt to get closer to his embrace.

Elias looked down at the crying girl and pulled her higher so she could lay her head on his chest. He brought a hand to her head and stroked her hair. "There, there. It will be alright."

Chise started to calm down as she focused on Elias's strong hold on her, his hand on her head, and his heartbeat. But she was most focused on his deep voice rumbling against her face. She wondered how a sound so similar to thunder would be the thing helping to calm her.

"I'm s-sorry, Elias," Chise hiccuped quietly into his chest. "I- I- I'm af-afraid of storms."

Elias nuzzled the top of her head. "There's nothing to apologize for. Fear is natural."

Chise took a shuddering breath and pressed her head closer Elias's chest.

"Ha-have you ever been af-afraid?"

Elias thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I have."

"What was it li-like?"

"It was as if my heart was being crushed. I felt as if I could not breathe, and I couldn't think rationally."

Lighting struck and lit up the room. Thunder slammed after it.

Chise held Elias's shirt even tighter in response. "Wh- what did you do to... to st-stop being afraid?" She asked weakly.

Elias pulled the quilt closer to Chise's shoulders. "I just pictured you."

Chise stilled. "Yo-you did?"

"Of course."

"Why m-me?"

"Because when you are with me, I can't possibly be afraid of anything. You make any space you're in warm and sunny, and drive out any scary storms."

Chise smiled slightly at the compliment. "Maybe I can p-picture you wh-when I'm afraid, t-too," She whispered.

"That would be wonderful," Elias agreed.

Despite her previous sentence, Chise still shuddered at the next rumble of thunder.

Elias felt his chest clench in an odd sort of pain when he saw Chise's still-fearful reaction. He thought about how to help her fall asleep, and then an idea struck.

A gentle melody joined the sounds of the rainstorm outside, and Chise gasped. She looked up and realized Elias was singing.

"Wh-what are you singing?" Chise asked in astonishment.

Elias looked down at her surprised expression. "I'm singing you a lullaby," he said bluntly.

Chise let out a half laugh, half sob at the amount of care Elias was showing her. "Tha-thank y-you," she stammered. "It's l-lovely."

She leaned back into Elias, but this time, she was relaxed. She listened to the rumble of Elias's voice mixing with the thunder outside and fell asleep.

Elias repeated the song until he was sure that Chise had drifted off, and then his voice died away. He looked out at the rain streaming down the window and listened to the thunder that Chise no longer cried at. He wondered whether or not she had ever been able to fall asleep in the rain.

His shoulders had begun to ache a bit from being curled inward. His neck was bent at an awkward angle because his horns prevented him from leaning back. His back was also bent wrong from the angle in which he held Chise.

Sighing gently, Elias looked down at Chise's small figure sleeping peacefully, despite the thunder still booming outside. He watched her even breaths rise and fall gently. Her hair was slightly mussed from being pressed against his chest. Her lashes still had drops of tears on them. Her small hands still clung to the top of his shirt, and her fingers brushed against his skin.

Elias didn't question for a second whether or not to move; his pain was worth it. He knew he would rather Chise be happy than himself. He wondered briefly if this was what Chise called love.


End file.
